Just days before Bill and Sara Reichert welcomed their first child, Hope, they received news they didn’t expect.
“We knew three days before Hope was born that her brain had major malformations. When my water broke, we were sent to St. John’s in Springfield,” Sara said.
When Hope was one-day-old, an MRI revealed she had agenisis of the corpus callosum. The corpus callosum is a part of the brain. Its nerve fibers connect the two sides (cerebral hemispheres) of the brain. Agenesis of the corpus callosum is a birth defect that happens when this structure does not develop properly.
Sara knew Hope would need a pediatrician she could trust and she found that in Quincy Medical Group (QMG) Pediatrician Dr. Larry Minnick.
“St. John’s was adamant we must have a pediatrician at home willing to accept Hope and everything that would entail. A family friend spoke highly of Dr. Minnick, so I made the call from the hospital in Springfield,” Sara shared. “I talked to Nurse Marcia and let her know everything we knew and asked if Dr. Minnick would take Hope. She relayed all to Dr. Minnick and the rest is history.”
Hope’s condition comes with a lot of extra care and support from her family and Dr. Minnick.
“Caring for Hope hasn’t been easy, but Dr. Minnick and staff have been there every step of the way. She has been admitted countless times, and Dr. Minnick is always there for her and for us,” Sara said.
She shared that Dr. Minnick has gone above and beyond, even coming to see Hope in the hospital and arranging her transportation to St. Louis Children’s Hospital when needed. Beyond Dr. Minnick, Sara said the QMG pediatrics team has also been there.
“Nurse Carla Schinderling is our lifeline and coach when we have questions. She was instrumental in Hope’s care during inpatient stays and now still keeps tabs on us as a QMG nurse. We are so grateful for her and nurses Marcia Frericks and Erica Fitzgerald.”
The Reicherts also have a son, Evan, age 9, who is cared for by Dr. Minnick too.
“I had to be induced five weeks early with Evan, and Dr. Minnick was there in the delivery room ready to care for Evan and whatever he needed. I knew Dr. Minnick was concerned about the outcome knowing what we already face with Hope and her care. He knows our family and cares for us,” Sara said.
The Reichert family feels grateful that they were led to Dr. Minnick over a decade ago.
“Dr. Minnick has been our guy from the beginning. He talks to Evan and sees Hope for who she really is. We couldn’t be us without the care we receive from Dr. Minnick.”
To learn more about QMG Pediatrics, visit https://quincymedgroup.com/medical-services/pediatrics/.